How Will A Divorce In Florida Damage My Credit Score?

A divorce typically sends a couple into turmoil, and one of the casualties is often the spouses’ credit scores. Most spouses have their finances intertwined. The mortgage may be in both names, there may be joint credit cards, or one spouse may be an authorized user on the other spouse’s credit cards.

Once the divorce is final, the divorce decree will specify which spouse is responsible for specific marital debts. However, if one of the spouses does not pay those debts, it usually hurts the credit scores of both spouses, not just the spouse responsible under the divorce decree. If both spouses are listed as being responsible for a debt, and one spouse is unwilling or unable to pay the debt, the creditor views the debt as being the responsibility of both spouses, so the failure to pay will be reported on the credit reports of both spouses.

If you are going through a divorce, you are probably concerned that your ex will not pay the marital debts assigned to him or her under the divorce decree. So what can you do to avoid a reduction in your credit score after divorce? If possible, you should attempt to pay off and close joint accounts. You can also try to convert joint accounts to individual accounts wherever possible. If that is not possible, you may consider monitoring the account. If you see a payment has not been made, you can ask your spouse about it, or consider making the payment yourself. You may be able to recover those payments, depending on what your divorce decree says.